UH Green Building Components Expo showcasing eco-friendly projects

University of Houston Green Building Components (UHGBC), a program in the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, announces its third annual UHGBC Expo. This event showcases the work of faculty-led research teams that design, develop and commercialize green building components and sustainable technologies for the built environment.

The exhibition runs 5 - 8 p.m., Nov. 17 in the College of Architecture's atrium. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.UHGBC.org.

Projects featured at this year's Expo will include Sun Stop Solar, an electric vehicle charging station that offers ATM services, information, WiFi, water and ice. It also serves as a localized emergency response center.

Another highlight of the expo is Parametric Precast Concrete System, a prefabricated concrete block system that provides growing pockets, acoustical properties, low environmental impact concrete building modules for use in walls, highway barriers, parking structures and other applications.

Commercialized products developed by UHGBC research teams also will be in the spotlight. These include the Solar Powered Adaptive Container for Everyone (SPACE), an upcycled shipping container paired with a flexible solar panel rack system that folds up (for transport or extreme weather). SPACE made local headlines earlier this year when the city of Houston announced its intent to purchase 17 of the UHGBC-developed units for use during emergency situations. To learn more about SPACE, visit www.adaptivecontainer.com.

Another commercialized product that will be featured is gro-POD, a simple raised bed gardening system that is now in production and being used in community gardens, commercial developments and home gardens. For more details on gro-POD, visit www.gro-pod.com.

Other products to be showcased include PV-Pod, a patent pending, high-density polyethylene photovoltaic panel ballast that mounts to flat roof buildings and Recompute, a desktop computer made out of cardboard that addresses sustainability during manufacturing, usage and disposal. To learn more about Recompute, visit www.recomputepc.com.

Other researchers exhibiting at the UHGBC Expo include Gulf Coast Mod, a team working with Kirksey Architects and others to develop a high quality, sustainable modular classroom building; Botanica Bio-Regenerative Air Purifier, a team comprised of biotech professionals, technology experts and designers seeking to commercialize a hydroponic air purification system for both consumer and architectural markets; and Z-Fab Housing, a local design team seeking to develop an ancillary, highly sustainable prefabricated structure with an off-grid option for energy production and storage.

Provided by University of Houston